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June 17, 1930. E. J. MGKEON 1,754,638

ARTICLE-HOLDING DEVICE `l1ed Dec. 2l, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 17930 TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, or im `Yom:

Application led December 21, 1928. ySerial No. 327,601. i

This invention relates to article holding devices, and more particularlyto devices for holding cord conductorsduring the'applicationl of terminals thereto. p

In telephone equipment, flexible insulated Y electrical conductors :covered Withl braided textile strands are frequently employedr to interconnect piecesA of electrical apparatus. Metallic terminal members forfconnecting the yconductors With the terminals of the apparatus arey sometimes secured to theends ofthe conductors by bands clamped over the braided covering -and having prongs projecting therethrough for. making Velectrical contact Xviththe conductors. In one method of attaching these terminals the braided conn yductor is placed inl a partially formed yterminal member With the free end off the conductor projecting beyond the end of the terminal member. The terminal member is thereafter clamped-upon the conductor and A simultaneously,therevviththe free end ofthe Y -conductor is severed adjacent to the lend-of the terminal. f f

The. primary object of this` invention V1s to provide a simple,andexpedientapparatus p for preventing the fraying of V`a 'strand or conductor duringk the attachmentV of anarti'- cle thereto.

In orderto attain 'this and other'objectsj there is'provided in one'embodiment of theV invention a punch and die combination, vthe drawn through the notches in one direction,

but are securely held vWhen an attempt is f made to retract them. ,l kThis plate-serves to hold the conductors under La predetermined Y tension Within the terminals during the op-V eration of the punch Which'serves to `clamp the terminals on the conductors and which carries with it af severing blade for trimming the lends `of the conductors closely adjacent 'ductors thereof by .ARTICLE-nomme mivren to the ends of the terminals, thus fraying ofthe textile coverings'.

ELISHA JAMES iviexnoimor rtAmrrnLn, JERSEY; nssiGNon To irnsrnari Yom; n; Yf, 1A coRPoRATIoN or NEW preventing Amore coinplete'understanding of the in` i vention will 4be `had fromr thefollovving detailed description When taken in conjunction with the accompanying ydrawing@wherein Fig. l'isafragmentary vertical sectionof a punch press for attachingterminlal members to `conductors,shovving a conductor holding device embodyingfthe features of this invention operatively associatedptherewith; L

` Fig. :2 lis a"fragmentaryk plan vievvl of that which is carried upon the bed ofthe press; Fig. is alfragmentary vertical section taken on l1ne 3x-Bof F ig.` 2 With the dieandk cooperatingpunches shovvnA in an operating position.; l

Fig. 4 isanfenlargedfragmentary detail section taken "on line 4-4rof F ig.` l

. Fig. ,5 isa fragmentary plansectiontaken f i on line 5-5 of Fig. 1';

` Y Fi`g'-6 is an enlarged fragmentary section 575 punch v and die, shown "in an operating taken online 6 6 of Fig. fl'vvith the cooperating 7 l position;l p f f. y Figfis a perspectiveview of .the im'` provedjcon'ductor holding device; L Fig. k8 is an enlarged detail view'of a parltially formedrterminal member; and Fig.v 9 is a fragmentary elevational vie'v7 ofV a telephone cord with terminalmembers appliedto the projectingendsof the cony an` apparatus embodying the Vfeatures of this invention.; f i 9 Referring novv to the/drawings indetai-l,

4vvherein like reference `charactens designate corresponding lparts throughout the several views, it vvillbe observed that Vrthe reference numeral 15 designates a die block adaptedfto be supported upon the bed of a punch ypress' of any; usual type (notv shovvn). j Mounted :Within a depression formeduin the die block V15 is a multi-die 16 designed to accommo# date partially formed terminal members'l( of the type `shown vin Fig.V 8. Extendingto the left ofthe die block 154 (Fig` 2)` is agage` plate 18 providediwith upwardly extending gage pins'QOfQQ, thelffunction` of which Will now be described. Referring to Fig. 9 which shows one end of a completed telephone cord 21, it will be noted that the two conductor ends thereof areof different lengths and are provided at their extremities with metallic terminal members 17. In the completed telephone cord it is desirable that the terminals 17 bear a predetermined spaced relation to each other within fairly close limits, that is, with respect tothe longitudinal distance between them. `The function of the gage pins is to insure and facilitate the correct positioning of the terminals upon the 'conductor ends.

Fixed in a depression formed inthe up'per surface of the die block 15 to they left of the die 16 (F ig. 1) is an insert 24 in thel form of a block having its upperY surface `flush with the Vupper surface of the die block. Extending upwardly from the block insert 24 are t'wo pairs of conductor clamping `pins 25p-25 arranged to yieldably engage opposite sides of the conductors. Asshown in Fig. 1, the pins 25 are pivoted at their lower ends and their upper ends are urged toward eachother by a U-shaped spring 26 (Fig. 4).

Mounted in the die block 15 so as to be vertically slidable between the die 16 and the block insert 24 is a vert-ical plate 28 which normally projects above the upper surface'of the die blocl; 15 and serves as a gage Vfor facilitating the insertion of thev partially formed `terminal members within the die. Acompression spring 29 mounted ina pocketformed lin the die block 15 and I bearing upwardly against the bottom edge ofthe yplate 28 serves to hold it in its normal position.

Arranged to cooperate'with the multi-die 16 are 'a pair of forming punches 30-*30 V(Figs. 1, 3 and 5.) designedtoclamp the partially formed terminals upon the conductors, 'as shown in Fig. 6. Associated with each of the formingl punches Ois a conductor shearing punch 31 which serves to sever the ,projecting excess end rportions of the conductors adjacent to the attached terminals. yltesiliently mounted Ypads 33 and 34 arranged on opposite .sides of the forming punches serve yto securelyhold the conductors and the terminals during the forming land shearing operations. The forming and shearing punches and 31, respectively, andthe Lpads 33 and 34 vare carried byl a supporting vblock 35 which, for theV purpose yof facilitatingthe assembling and disassembling of the parts, is composed of three individual sections 36, 3"(` and "38. y

As shown in Figs. 51 and Y5, the forming and shearing punches are securely clamped to the lower section 36 ofthe supporting block 35 by means of screws 40 extending through elongated slots 41 provided 'in kthe pad 34. 'By referring to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the forming punches are shaped ends of the p-ush pin-s 42 by a compression spring 44 `(Fig. 1). It Awill be observed that the supporting block 35 is securely clamped to the platen 45 of the press by means of suitable screws or bolts 46-46 In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a simple and inexpensive device is provided for holding the conductors under the required tension during the attachment of the terminalsthereto `and the severing ofthe surplus end portions of the conductors. In the embodiment of the .in-V

vention illustrated init-he drawings, this device comprises a vertical plate 48 preferably composed of resilient sheet metal. The lowerportion of this plate v.is bent substantially at right angles to provide a base portion 49 whereby the device is secured within a depression formed inthe upper surface of the die block 15 to the rightof the die 16, as

.shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Formed in the vertical portion of the resilient vplate 48 are a pair of spaced V-shaped notches 50-50 for accommodating the ends of the conductors. The portions of the plate adjacent to the notches 50 are bentso that the braided covered conductors may be readily drawn through the notches in one direction but are securely held under tension when anattempt is made to retract them.

n In the operation of the above described apparatus, the partially formed terminals 17 ,are positioned kin the pockets of the die 16 with the left ends of the terminals abutting the gage plate 28, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2. A telephone cord 21 is .then

placed in position with the conductors there-v Iof lying within the partially formed terminals, yand the projecting end portions of the conductors are drawn taut through the V-shaped notches 50 of the resil'ient plate 48, the gage pins 2O and the clamping pins v25 serving to insure the proper positioning of the conductors with 'respect to the terminals.

The punch press is then operated in-the lusualmanner and upon the downward movement of the platen 45, the pads 33 and 34 yieldably engage Vthe conductors on opposite sides of the terminals vcausing the prongs 54 which project upwardly from the terminals to pierce the lbraided covering and electrically contact with the metallic-cores of the conductors. Upon a'continued downward movement of the platen45 the vforming punches 30 engage upturned portions 55 ofthe terminals and wrap. them tightlyiaround the Y I conductors in the formk of Va cylinder, as shown inFig. 6. Simultaneously witlithe forming operation the shearing punches 81 sever the excess end portions of the `conductors adjacent'to the attached terminals thus completing the assembly in one operation ot 'the press. During the severing operation the conductors are held taut'by the resilient plate 48 thus insuring a clean cut of the excess end portions of the braided covered conductors obviating any subsequent trimming of the textile strands of which the braiding is composed.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated kand described is merely a convenient and useful form of the invention and is capable of various modifications Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with means for attaching a terminal to a strand, and means for simultaneously therewith shearing the free end portionof the strand, of a plate inember provided with a V-'shaped slot with f turned edges yto holdtlie strand under pre-V determined tension during the shearing operation.

2. The combination with means for attaching a terminal to a strand, and means for simultaneously therewith shearing the free end portion of the strand, f a resilient plate member having a V-shaped slot for receiving the strand, the edges of the member adjacent the slot being turned away from thek terminal to hold the strandunder tension during the shearing operation.

'3. The combination with means for attach# ing terminals to electrical conductors, and means for simultaneously therewith shearing the free end portions of the conductors, of a plate member having spaced V-shaped slots for receiving the conductors, the edges of the plate member adjacent the slots being formed to securelyhold the conductors under tension during the forming and shearingk operations.

In witness whereof7 I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of December, A. D.

' ELISHA .JAMES MGKEON. 

